“The delicate balance of mentoring someone is not creating them in your own image, but giving them the opportunity to create themselves.” — Steven Spielberg

The California State University, Bakersfield Alumni Association recently launched its new mentorship program, Runner Alumni Mentorship Program (RAMP), matching graduates and friends of the university with current students who are looking for educational advice, career guidance, and life lessons.

And three representatives from Chain | Cohn | Stiles are proud to be taking part in RAMP as mentors. They are:

Jorge Barrientos: Jorge earned his bachelor’s degree from another California State University (Chico). His wife, Carla, however, is the president of the CSUB Alumni Association. At Chain | Cohn | Stiles, Jorge is the director of marketing and public relations.

Chad Boyles: Chad earned his bachelor’s degree with honors in political science from Cal State Bakersfield, where he was also a part of Pi Sigma Alpha, a national political science honor society. He is also a member of the Board of Directors for the CSUB Alumni Association. At Chain | Cohn | Stiles, he focused on personal injury and wrongful death cases.

Ray Pruitt: Ray earned his Worker’s Compensation Law Certificate from CSUB, and has taught criminal justice courses at the university. At the law firm, he assists in case development and management, and gathering vital evidence and information for personal injury cases.

According to the Alumni Association, this pilot program offers an innovative approach by providing students practical application of networking skills, as well as personal and professional growth over an extended period of time. It matches interested students with community members based upon students’ career objectives and majors, and aims to provide support and advise in areas such as networking, career planning and interview skills. RAMP is currently open to junior and senior-level students within the schools of Social Sciences & Education, and Business & Public Administration, and will run through the end of the spring semester, with a new cycle beginning in the fall. Those interested in being a part of the future RAMP classes can email alumni@csub.edu with your contact information and a note stating your interest in the program.

“This is a great opportunity to make a difference in a student’s life,” RAMP program organizers stated.

Chain | Cohn | Stiles for years has partnered with local groups to make educational presentations to students, offer job shadowing and internship opportunities, and to serve as mentors. The law firm and its attorneys have also awarded student scholarships, and donated to educational and philanthropic programs that assist high-achieving and well-deserving students to pursue their dreams.

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If you or someone you know if injured in an accident, call the lawyers at Chain | Cohn | Stiles at (661) 323-4000, or visit the website chainlaw.com for more information.

It’s a somber thought, but one that unfortunately is important to think about in our current times: What would you do if you were confronted with a situation involving an active shooter?

In the aftermath of the mass shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida, that killed 17 people, KERO-23 News interviewed several local officials — including Chain | Cohn | Stiles investigator Ray Pruitt — regarding active shooter training and safety plans at Bakersfield and Kern County schools.

Pruitt, who has nearly 25 years of experience in law enforcement and investigations, stresses the importance of trainings, at schools or otherwise, to better prepare on how to react in the instance of a shooting.

The odds that you will be a victim of a mass shooting are low. But experts say mass shootings have become so frequent and deadly in the United States that people should think in advance about how they will respond if the unthinkable happens.

For this reason, Chain | Cohn | Stiles would like to share some potentially life-saving tips — with the help of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security — on what you should do if you are ever witness to an active shooter scenario.

1) Evacuate: If there is an accessible escape path, attempt to evacuate the premises. Be sure to:

Have an escape route and plan in mind.

Evacuate regardless of whether others agree to follow.

Leave your belongings behind.

Help others escape, if possible.

Prevent people from entering an area where the active shooter may be.

Keep your hands visible.

Follow the instructions of any police officers.

Do not attempt to move wounded people.

Call 911 when you are safe.

2) Hide Out: If evacuation is not possible, find a place to hide where the active shooter is less likely
to find you.

Your hiding place should be out of the active shooter’s view, provide protection if shots are fired in your direction, and not trap you or restrict your options for movement.

To prevent an active shooter from entering your hiding place, lock the door and blockade the door with heavy furniture.

If the active shooter is nearby, lock the door, silence your cell phones, turn off any source of noise, Hide behind large items, and remain quiet.

If evacuation and hiding out are not possible, remain calm and dial 911, if possible, to alert police to the active shooter’s location. If you cannot speak, leave the line open and allow the dispatcher to listen.

3) Take Action: As a last resort, and only when your life is in imminent danger, attempt to disrupt and/or incapacitate the active shooter by:

Acting as aggressively as possible against him/her.

Throwing items and improvising weapons.

Yelling.

Committing to your actions.

As Pruitt mentioned in the KERO-23 interview, it’s important to prepare for an active shooter situation beforehand, create a plan, and conduct training exercises. Steps to do this are also covered by the Department of Homeland Security active shooter booklet, which you can view by clicking here.

But, in short, ways to prepare for and prevent an active shooter situation include the following:

Chain | Cohn | Stiles — the Bakersfield-based accident, injury and workers’ compensation law firm — has welcomed a new investigator to its team, and it’s a familiar face for Kern County.

Ray Pruitt, who served as a media spokesman for the Kern County Sheriff’s Office for nearly a decade, will be assisting in case development and management, and gathering vital evidence and information for personal injury cases at Chain | Cohn | Stiles.

Pruitt has nearly 25 years of law enforcement and investigative experience. He began his career in 1988 with the Bakersfield Police Department, worked as a private investigator for three years, and joined the Kern County Sheriff’s Office in 2001. He worked in the KCSO Crime Prevention Department and was the spokesman / public information officer for nearly eight years.

“I have lived my entire life in Kern County and have spent the last 25 years working to serve and protect the citizens of our great community,” Pruitt said. “I feel extremely fortunate to be a member of the Chain | Cohn | Stiles team, a law firm with a rich tradition of protecting the rights of and seeking justice for those who have been victimized.”

Pruitt grew up in Delano and graduated from McFarland High School. He holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice administration from the University of Phoenix, a worker’s compensation law certificate from CSU Bakersfield. He has taught criminal justice classes at both the college and law enforcement academy level. Ray has testified as a criminal court expert in Kern County Superior Court, and is well known in the law enforcement and business community in Kern County.

He’s been married for 25 years, and has two adult children – a student at CSU Bakersfield the other a student Bakersfield College – as well as a grandson.

“Standing up for victims and helping them when they have been harmed by the actions of another person is something I am very passionate about,” Pruitt said. “I have spent the majority of my adult life working to help those who need help, and helping their families as well. Ultimately, helping people gain some sense of closure when they have been harmed due to the actions of another is what I am most looking forward to at Chain | Cohn | Stiles.

Pruitt was recently featured in the “People in Business” section of The Bakersfield Californian. See it here.

*NOTICE: Making a false or fraudulent Workers’ Compensation claim is a felony subject to up to 5 years in a prison or a fine of up to $150,000 or double the value of the fraud, whichever is greater, or by both imprisonment and fine.

Chain | Cohn | Stiles

Standing for Justice

If you need immediate legal assistance, call (661) 323-4000 or fill out the "Contact Us" form below. For general inquiries about this blog or otherwise, please contact the Director of Marketing and Public Relations, Jorge Barrientos, at jbarrientos@chainlaw.com

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*NOTICE: Making a false or fraudulent Workers’ Compensation claim is a felony subject to up to 5 years in a prison or a fine of up to $150,000 or double the value of the fraud, whichever is greater, or by both imprisonment and fine.